HOMEBREW Digest #4135 Thu 02 January 2003


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	FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
  Steve is....sez Gump ("Rob Moline")
  Re: Step Mash with a False Bottom (Wes Smith)
  ramping and under pitching (Road Frog)
  re: Yeast & Maylasia (Bill Wible)
  Rubbermaid 10 gallon cooler ("Menzl's")
  Re: Speed of Temperature Increases and Wort Flow in HERMS (Kent Fletcher)
  Double mash? ("Nathaniel P. Lansing")

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---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 01:22:11 -0600 From: "Rob Moline" <jethrogump at mchsi.com> Subject: Steve is....sez Gump Yes, he is..... > From: "Michael Maag" <MichaelMaag at doli.state.va.us> Subject: BrewingTechniques Back Issues <SNIP> <Steve is one heck of a guy. - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.434 / Virus Database: 243 - Release Date: 12/25/2002 Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 18:25:05 +1100 From: Wes Smith <wsmith at acenet.com.au> Subject: Re: Step Mash with a False Bottom Ant Hayes has responded to Steve Alexander re step mashing with a false bottom - sorry I did not see Steve's original post but can add some experience from my combi mash/lauter tun setup. Built around a commercial catering 90 ltr electric boiler, my unit originally had a 3 phase 6kw heating system built into the cavity between the insulated outer skin and the inner vessel. Where this boiler is unusual is the arrangement of the elements around the periphery of the vessel where they radiate heat from the inconel elements to heat the lower half of the vessel. The total unit is beautifully made in 316 s/s and the elements can be withdrawn on there own mounting plate. The insulation was pathetic so I replaced the fibreglass matt with rockwool 50mm in thickness, changed the electrics back to single phase (240 volt here in Australia) and fitted a Watlow Series 96 PID controller firing a 30 amp solid state relay. The PID controller was absolutely essential as this type of heating system has an exponential ramp that needs careful control. The false bottom is a perforated 316 s/s plate 0.75mm thick with 1mm holes on 2mm centres - around 23% open area. The plate is supported on 12 or so 316 s/s cap screws about 15mm off the bottom of the vessel and allows for a very accurate levelling of the plate. There is a central spigot in the bottom of the vessel that doubles as a central support for the lauter plate, the wort takeoff point and also as the bottom bearing for the agitator shaft. The original 1.5" tapered outlet valve has been left in place and this is now used as Ant has described, to flush out some of the finer grist particles and a lot of proteinaceous material before starting the runoff. Runoff wort is directed from the central spigot to a second small ball valve that enables the wort flow rate to be fully controlled - and initial recirculation, usually about 2 or 3 ltrs, is poured back into the mash. The agitator has its own speed controlled motor and reduction box enabling a 10 to 30 rpm rate. So the heat comes from the SIDES of the vessel and does not cause any scorching or other problems with the wort. Capacity is about 15kg or so of grist but I mostly use a 10kg grist load for a 60ltr brewlength (yielding 55ltrs = 3 x 18ltrs [5 USgal] kegs). The unit was designed to replicate both single infusion mashes as well as full program step mashes and decoctions. Its been a real success, but is not something you could really call a homebrewing system. If we weren't in the malt business needing to do test brews I would be using something a lot simpler - and cheaper. I have a few jpegs of the unit if you are interested. Wes. Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 06:41:55 -0800 (PST) From: Road Frog <road_frog_run at yahoo.com> Subject: ramping and under pitching I have not had the impetus to light a fire under the the mash tun yet. But is it practical with an easy-masher type tun? I would think not ... but? Have to get the pump up and going, then the herms. I played around some years ago with under pitching wits. It seemed to give good results with some yeast. But given my brewing style, was hard to control. I.E.. oxygenation, fermenting temperature, actual pitching rate. Happy New Year to all, and to the janitors THANKS! Glyn in Estill Springs TN Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 11:45:25 -0500 From: Bill Wible <bill at brewbyyou.net> Subject: re: Yeast & Maylasia >the biggest Wyeast smack pak - the 200ml pack intended for BOPs >to pitch into15gal produces only 105B to 120B cells. Better >than the tubes by far, but I don't see BOP packs in the shops Any homebrew shop that stocks Wyeast can get the BOP packs. They would have to sell for about $15. That's also part of why it costs over $100 to brew a couple cases of beer at a BOP, and why there isn't one in PA, NJ, or DE that I'm aware of. If your shop stocks Wyeast, and you're really serious about it, they might be willing to get them for you on a special order basis. Ask. Frankly, I see enough resistance to the pitchable tubes at $6.50, and it doesn't matter whether its Wyeast or White Labs. I sell more White Labs, though. I even found the regular Wyeast smack packs a hard sell at $4.49. So much so that I stopped carrying them. People here seem to view yeast as just another added expense to their batch, even though I constantly explain that it's the single biggest thing you can do to improve the quality of your beer. Dry yeast is a joke. I think most brewers will balk at $15 for yeast though, and that's why none of the HB shops carry them. No point in carrying $15 tubes of yeast to sit in the refrigerator and expire. And despite your bleak observations, the Wyeast and White Labs vials work just fine. Bill Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 15:01:29 -0500 From: "Menzl's" <menzl at concentric.net> Subject: Rubbermaid 10 gallon cooler I am going to move into the world of "No-Sparge" mashing and purchased the required 10 gallon cooler. The problem I discovered is that the Igloo cooler has a 13.25 inch diameter where the Phil's Phalse bottom I have is 12 inches. The Igloo has since been returned and I do further study to find a suitable mash tun. I have done some searching and I really like the price for the Rubbermaid 10 gallon cooler that Bob Hewitt recommended in HBD #4122 at http://www.shoplet.com/office/db/gCRUB5379.html. My main question is if anyone knows if the 12 inch Phil's Phalse Bottom fits this cooler? I would like to avoid buying something over the internet if it is not going to fit the False bottom that I have. Thanks in advance! William Menzl Midland, Michigan [99.8, 344.8] Apparent Rennerian Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 18:08:40 -0800 (PST) From: Kent Fletcher <fletcherhomebrew at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Speed of Temperature Increases and Wort Flow in HERMS Kevin Eggemeyer wanted to consider reverse circulation with his HERMS rig, in an effort to shorten ramp times: >What I'm interested in knowing more about is how >quickly the temperature can/should be raised using a >HERMS type system. The limiting factor that I've >come across is the speed at which the wort can be >recirculated. To increase the flow rate, I thought >about having the pump pull from the top of the grain >bed and return to the bottom. (snip) The point being >to increase the flow from the roughly one-half gallon >of wort transferred through the heat exchanger now to >several times that volume. (snip) >Any thoughts on recirculating in reverse? Kevin, trying to recirculate in reverse is fraught with problems. Where would the suction inlet of your system be? It would (obviously) have to be beneath the surface of the mash, and be submerged enough that it would not suck air on pump start-up, when the level in the tun drops. You would have to have a screen to keep the grist out - and posibly result in compacting the top of the mash. When you mentioned the flow rate, you did not give a time period. Assuming that you meant one half gallon per minute, that would seem to indicate a restricted loop. Granted, I don't know what kind of pump you are using, but the typical small (1/25th HP) mag drive pumps frequently used in RIMS/HERMS systems are capable of 5 to 6 GPM at three feet of head. If you are only getting 0.5 GPM flow, you may need to examine your setup for high head conditions. How high is your pump lifting the wort? Are you using overly restrictive valves? If you are using solenoid valves, be sure that they are rated for the lowest possible pressure differential, preferably zero. You also need to check the coefficient of volume (CV), which will tell you the maximum flow rate through the valve, which varies with the diameter of the inner orifice. Other items which contribute to high head conditions are standard port ball valves and the number of ells in the loop. And of course using too small a tubing for your HERMS loop, which should be at least 0.5" OD. Also, check the delta T on the coil. With a flow rate that low, the discharge temp from the HERMS should be very close to your HL temp. This *could* lead to denaturing enzymes, if your HLT is at 170-180 F, so you would need to either increase the flow rate or lower the HL temp. Hope that helps, Kent Fletcher brewing in So Cal Return to table of contents
Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 22:33:46 -0500 From: "Nathaniel P. Lansing" <delbrew at compuserve.com> Subject: Double mash? "Greg Man" Asked about Noonan's double mash approach for a strong Scotch Ale. It had me puzzled for a while also. My take is as follows: given grist A, Grist B. Kettle A, kettle B. Mash in grist A and direct first runnings to kettle A. Run off spargings and use to mash in grist B. First runnings of grist B go to kettle A to satisfy volume for "Heavy" boil. Excess first runnings and spargings of grist B go to kettle B for small beer. Return to table of contents
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